It's easy to get lost in the technicalities of SEO. So it's refreshing to see this cute little video which lays out the basics of SEO very simply. It's well worth a watch.

The core message in this video is to 'Make Good Stuff'. Now that may seem obvious but many people lose sight of this as they try to optimise or over-optimise their sites for search engine ranking. So instead of getting sidetracked by the latest on-site tricks and ingenious link-building techniques it would be wise for most website owners to concentrate first on making their website good.

This reminds me of the old marketing maxim 'keep it simple, stupid' or KISS. It doesn't take a genius to work out that a good, valuable website should be the basis of your campaign. If this is achieved all else will follow.

If a website is good, useful, informative or inspirational, more people will visit it, more people will link to it, more people will share it with their friends, so even more people will visit. This will all help improve search engine rankings.

Yes, you still need to optimise your title tags, text and images. Yes, you still need to promote the site. But if you concentrate on making the website 'good' in the first place, your efforts will be rewarded many times over in the long run.

With the using of scoop.it I have experenced a new way of finding information and gathering to one website , this then can be shared with others for their own viewing , this makes for easy media sharing of relevant information a very good way of informing those with no knowledge of the topic at hand . This is a good tool that assists in sharing new techniques that are avail in my profession and even some of the results from those tecniques .

You know how they say you should shake up your work-out routine from time to time to “shock your body”? (Real talk: I never do this.) The same is true of your keyword research routine – changing up your tools is a great way to get new content ideas.

Content curation is a bit of an art form, and takes some time to perfect. But once you’ve figured out a strategy that works, you’ll have a process in place for regularly finding, compiling and editorializing content your audience will love!→

Peg Corwin's insight:

Learn more about curating content in these 5 ways: ask industry experts for top tips, create a roundup of best resources, curate blog and social media commentary, compile stats and research

Add Target Keywords to SEO Booster Field

Under the SEO tab on your board, you can add target keywords that are relevant to your Scoop.it board. Presumably these are used in site search and will bring more people searching for those to your board.

Building loyalty should be every company's goal and building trust is an essential element. It should be easy to understand that people connect with people more than with companies, so it should follow that companies need to enable their employees to make those connections.

Content curation is completely different from duplicate content as it adds value to an audience and brings SEO benefits.

Peg Corwin's insight:

There is a huge difference between quoting and commenting on a post (curation) and large-scale duplication, or spam. The key is that "content curators apply judgement before selecting what to publish." And they add context. Thus curation helps content marketers rank in search.

Marty is not just one of my favorite content curators. He is also a very hard-working entrepreneur with an infectious dream: "Use technology to cure cancer, connect with people all around the world, and buy and sell things in new and exciting ways."

We’re excited to announce a complete revamp of our analytics dashboard bringing not only better looking, easier to use analytics but also new metrics and KPI’s to better understand the impact of your content curation.

We're excited to launch the newest version of our special sauce - the Scoop.it Smart Suggestion Engine. It brings you the most relevant and most popular content on your topic and learns your preferences along the way.

Peg Corwin's insight:

The refined search capabilities of Scoop.it make it easier to identify relevant content to curate more quickly. Love the new bookmark feature, which allows you to follow up later without scooping.

seeing the importance of scoop it with this article , i think i can use this to show the importance of social sharing and emphasize how scoop it and other social media sites are important in then IMC process and how it has to be utilized in todays world (week 9)

First post prompted a great note from my curator mentor coach Robin Good:

« Marty, I can't agree more. I hate it myself when I see Scoop.it links in my Twitter stream because I know that most of the time it's a lame post with next to no content leading me somewhere else.

I think this is part of the culture of Scoop.it, and the only ones that can change it significantly are those who direct and promote its editorial and marketing policy.

Until you promote a tool like Scoop.it as a tool to save time and produce more content, target it to novice content marketers, and don't moderate actively what you showcase (like Flipboard or Medium do), you can't expect a different kind of outcome. I may be wrong but this is the impression I get. What's your take Marty? »

Yes, butI agree with Robin much more than I disagree. Points of agreement include:

Agree 80%

* Difficulty of Creating Branded Curators on Scoop.it due to little or no "SHOWCASE". * Spam control on backs of curators. * Difficulty of building community on Scoop.it due to the first bullet.

Disagree 20%

* Adding Google authorship signals a desire by Scoop.it to share back value of the commons making Scoop.it UNIQUE in social nets / tools. * No commons is constructed as much as guided, influenced and moved like weather or a wave at a football game.

The disagreement 20% speaks to the highly distributed nature of any commons. When content is coming in from pirates and the navy then content cherished, featured and held up as examples creates powerful social signals.

This very TINY balancing beam is where cutators and editors of any commons must excel. Too heavy a hand and free discourse is squashed. Too light a hand and the commons (substitute community if it makes it easier to understand lol) can't find or share its spirit.

Robin is successful because he is creative, intelligent and generous. Robin's skills mean he can be successful anywhere, so finding ways to partner with Robin, giving Robin (and Michele, Jan, Karen and Brian) "jobs" or defined roles would help shore up the GOOD and so decrease chances for the BAD to run amok.

This "Showcasing" is a fine art since it too walks a fine and tiny beam between elitist and populist. When Robin hit 1M views on Scoop.it I would have been tempted to have a much bigger party (lol). The key push and pull between curators and any commons is how much value will be shared with the sharecropping contributors.

When Robin and then Ana-Christina right behind him passed a million views I would have stopped time a little to interview them, qualify their tactics and strategies and in so doing call attention to a tool capable of helping a sharecropper reach a lot of people.

For me, the third act of any commons is always "Review the Reviewer" or Brand the Curator (in Scoop.it's case). Who gets that? Red Bull gets it. I think FlipBoard does too though Robin has more experience there than me (recent innovations make me want to go back and check it out).

Tools, like life itself, aren't permanent fixtures. As Scoop.it crosses this next chasm it walks a tight rope across the Grand Canyon and competitors such as FlipBoard are generating lots of wind. The Scoopit team is smart and they must sense a pivot is upon them. Personally I want to help. In for a penny...:). Marty

FYI Folks -- I trust that the reviews I write about the articles I curate help people along in their business storytelling journey. I know that there are many curators out there who do not add reviews/comments to the articles they highlight.

As a result, Scoop.it and other curation sites are getting a backlash because audience members are tired of getting a link to an article that brings them to Scoop.it, and then requires another click to get to the article. Now I know that is annoying. And there is nothing of value offered between clicks.

Marty's response to the original blog post is right on. Read it along with all the other comments. Truly illuminating.

Other than a rant for me, what's the value of this post to you and business storytelling?

Namely this -- no matter what medium you use -- blogging, curating, digital storytelling -- make sure you are actually adding value for your audience. Expand their knowledge, give them tools, show them how, and offer your excellent insights. The stories you share have to connect to your audience in these ways. Anything else is a waste.

All of these posts and reviews add up to telling your story in a big picture way. So thanks Marty for addressing this issue, and reminding us about principles for quality curation. I've learned a lot from both you and Robin!

It's easy to get lost in the technicalities of SEO. So it's refreshing to see this cute little video which lays out the basics of SEO very simply. It's well worth a watch.

The core message in this video is to 'Make Good Stuff'. Now that may seem obvious but many people lose sight of this as they try to optimise or over-optimise their sites for search engine ranking. So instead of getting sidetracked by the latest on-site tricks and ingenious link-building techniques it would be wise for most website owners to concentrate first on making their website good.

This reminds me of the old marketing maxim 'keep it simple, stupid' or KISS. It doesn't take a genius to work out that a good, valuable website should be the basis of your campaign. If this is achieved all else will follow.

If a website is good, useful, informative or inspirational, more people will visit it, more people will link to it, more people will share it with their friends, so even more people will visit. This will all help improve search engine rankings.

Yes, you still need to optimise your title tags, text and images. Yes, you still need to promote the site. But if you concentrate on making the website 'good' in the first place, your efforts will be rewarded many times over in the long run.

It is getting harder to correctly rank in search engine because Google keeps changing the goal-posts, and now they have released the Google Hummingbird update the search engine is supposed to evolve of its own accord.

The curation platform SCOOP.IT announced their new Facebook Timeline integration. "By turning it on (it’s optional of course), your Facebook Timeline will be automatically updated in real time whenever you curate new content."

Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.

Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.

Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.